The Rt Hon Lord Knight of Weymouth
Jim Knight works in education, medtech and as a legislator. He is the Chief Education and External Officer at TES Global Ltd, the news, training, jobs and resource sharing service for teachers. Having founded Tes Institute, he now oversees Tes’s user generated content platform, commercial content partnerships, and communications. Jim is a founder of XRapid, enabling diagnosis of malaria and asbestos fibres using AI microscopes and iPads.
As a UK government minister his portfolios included rural affairs, schools, digital and employment. He was a member of Gordon Brown’s Cabinet 2009-2010, before joining the Lords after the 2010 General Election. He is also a visiting Professor at the Knowledge Lab of the UCL Institute of Education and Chair of Whole Education.
If you had a chance to write on your childhood school report - what comments would you make?
He is too busy trying to make everyone else happy and needs to focus more on putting in the hard work necessary to be really successful. You can’t win on charm alone!
What did you dream of becoming as a child and what obstacles got in your way?
An actor - reality got in the way. I simply wasn’t good enough because I was not mature and reflective enough to connect with myself emotionally.
You have spent many years championing the importance of education - first as a politician, now in the private sector - what lessons has this journey taught you?
There is no silver bullet and no right and wrong way in education. It is not a science. It is a profoundly human endeavour and every child needs a slightly different approach in diverse contexts. But it is the most important and rewarding sector to work in because of the core excitement of developing people.
Lord Jim Knight
@LordJim Knight
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